"You're awake. The feminization process was very successful."
Sig had once imagined that the CP0 agent who fell into Ivankov's hands would open the door to a new world, shedding their old self and embarking on an entirely new life.
But he hadn't expected the feminization process to be this successful…
"Ivankov, I have to say, your sense of aesthetics for women is excellent."
"I underestimated your level of mastery with the Hormone Fruit's abilities."
Sig sincerely praised him.
When he and Ivankov pushed open the cabin door and stepped into the room, sunlight spilled in along with them.
What Sig saw was a stunningly beautiful woman.
She sat with her legs crossed at the table. Her thick, short golden hair seemed to glow under the sunlight. A faint, almost imperceptible smile graced her light blue eyes as she gazed at Sig walking in.
The woman looked no older than her early twenties, but her aura resembled that of a mature noblewoman.
"Was the feminization process really this successful? This is more than just a physical transformation. She has fully embraced the identity of a woman, mind and soul," Sig couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Back then, his intention was merely to break down the psychological defenses of the Masked Man, throwing out provocative words to assist Ivankov.
He hadn't expected Ivankov to take it so seriously—not only feminizing the Masked Man but doing it with such astonishing success.
If it weren't for her still wearing the signature white suit of CP0 and the handcuffs on her wrists, Sig wouldn't have believed that this was the same CP0 agent from before.
"Sig-boy, what are you talking about?"
Ivankov scratched his afro in confusion.
"Sig-san, you've misunderstood something."
On the other side of the table, Dragon glanced at Sig with a slightly exasperated expression.
"Ivankov only used sleeping hormones on her. That's all."
Sig's heart skipped a beat, and he stared at the golden-haired woman in front of him in a daze.
Looking closely, she was indeed entirely, unmistakably a woman. Her posture, demeanor, and temperament were all completely natural—there wasn't the slightest trace of incongruity.
No matter how powerful Ivankov's Devil Fruit abilities were, they couldn't possibly transform a man, both body and mind, into a true woman within just a few days.
Which meant… the truth could only be one thing…
The Masked Man from back then was a woman all along!
What truly shocked Sig, to the point that beads of sweat began forming on his forehead, was the faint sense of familiarity he felt toward this woman.
The golden-haired woman blinked her light blue eyes, and the smile in them deepened.
"It's truly an honor that you, Sig-san, recognize me."
Sig felt his heart sink heavily into the depths.
Now he finally understood why even the Revolutionary Army found her so troublesome and was trying to send this "generous gift" back into his hands.
Stussy's identity was no ordinary one. In the world at large, she was a figure of significant prominence.
Stussy, Queen of the Pleasure District, one of the rulers of the underworld, standing on par with titans like "Big News" Morgans of the press.
More than a decade later, she was an esteemed guest invited by Emperor Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, to attend the wedding of Sanji and Pudding, seated in a position of honor alongside Morgans and others.
During the chaos of that wedding, Stussy had even used a Flying Finger Pistol to kill the King of Loan Sharks, another underworld ruler, from a distance.
She was someone who could casually mingle with the Emperors, both in terms of status and strength—a bona fide big shot.
At the same time, however, she also carried the identity of a CP0 agent.
"Wait a minute. Back then, the CP0 agent with the white mask was a tall man!"
"The physique, aura, and voice were completely different!"
Sig frowned, still finding it hard to believe.
"Those are merely survival tricks of a weak woman like me. Nothing worth mentioning."
Stussy smiled faintly, picking up the crying-faced white mask on the table and placing it on her face.
The moment the mask was donned, her aura turned chillingly cold, as if the temperature in the room had dropped a few degrees.
A man's icy, eerie voice came from behind the mask:
"CP0, outwardly, is a secret intelligence organization, unknown to most of the world. But to powerful individuals like Sig-san and Dragon-san, it's little more than an open secret."
"Aren't you curious? Why would we, CP0 agents, who are supposed to be secret operatives, wear all white—so conspicuous that we're impossible to miss?"
The voice alternated between the cold male tone and a soft, feminine one, making Sig's scalp tingle.
"Was all that deliberate? The physique, aura, and voice—all disguises? Is that what you meant by survival tricks?"
Sig's frown deepened. Though he tried to keep his expression neutral, his heart couldn't stop trembling.
Now, he finally understood why the Revolutionary Army was so eager to return this "gift."
Stussy's public identity as one of the rulers of the underworld made her mysterious and formidable.
For her to hold such a position and be part of CP0 meant she was undoubtedly a key figure in their ranks.
The Revolutionary Army was not yet the massive force it would become twelve years later, bold enough to openly attack the Holy Land of Mariejois. They were still in their dormant, growing phase.
Swallowing someone like Stussy whole would lead to unforeseeable consequences.
This wasn't a big fish. This was a shark.
Looking back, it had been a miracle that his subordinate, Jin Ka, had managed to handle Stussy back then.
As for his earlier words about making the Masked Man "jump between genders" and opening the door to a new world…
The realization hit Sig like a brick.
Stussy was a woman, but his words back then had indeed struck a nerve, breaking through her psychological defenses and allowing Ivankov to bypass her Armament Haki.
"She wasn't afraid of feminization—she was afraid of being masculinized? My threats, while inaccurate, were unintentionally effective?"
Thinking of this, Sig couldn't help but laugh bitterly. At the same time, his sense of unease slightly subsided.
A mysterious and powerful Stussy was enough to set off alarm bells in Sig's mind.
But Stussy wasn't without her weaknesses.
"Behave yourself, or I'll have Ivankov turn you into a muscle-bound brute with arms big enough to carry horses!"
Sig regained some composure and issued a low, threatening warning.
He was satisfied to see Stussy's originally smiling expression stiffen.
"But I've been cooperating fully! I've already shared all the important intelligence regarding CP0 with you!"
Stussy's tone suddenly turned pitiful, her demeanor soft and vulnerable as though she'd been wronged.
"Good," Sig said flatly with a nod.
"In that case, Ivankov, turn her into a delicate, soft-skinned pretty boy."
___________________________________________________________________
don't forget to check out 60 advanced chapters on my